Background
Infertility is a common complication in obese men. Oxidative stress and testicular apoptosis play critical roles in obesity-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction. It has been reported that irisin, an exercise-induced myokine, may attenuate oxidative damage and testicular apoptosis in several diseases; however, its role in obesity-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of irisin in obesity-induced dysfunction of spermatogenesis.
Methods
Male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 24 weeks to establish a model of obesity-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction. To explore the effects of irisin, mice were subcutaneously infused with recombinant irisin for 8 weeks beginning at 16 weeks after starting a HFD. To confirm the role of AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα), AMPKα-deficient mice were used.
Results
The data showed decreased serum irisin levels in obese patients, which was negatively correlated with sperm count and progressive motility. Irisin was downregulated in the plasma and testes of obese mice. Supplementation with irisin protected against HFD-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction and increased testosterone levels in mice. HFD-induced oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and testicular apoptosis were largely attenuated by irisin treatment. Mechanistically, we identified that irisin activated the AMPKα signalling pathway. With AMPKα depletion, we found that the protective effects of irisin on spermatogenesis dysfunction were abolished in vivo and in vitro.
Conclusions
In conclusion, we found that irisin alleviated obesity-related spermatogenesis dysfunction via activation of the AMPKα signalling pathway. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that irisin is a potential therapeutic agent against obesity-related spermatogenesis dysfunction.
The development of rural economy and the overall progress of China's economy have a significant impact, so it is of great practical significance to analyze the current situation and influencing factors of rural economic development. From the analysis of data at this stage, rural economy is closely related to the changes of rural land and rural population. Therefore, on the basis of the relevant discussion on the rural economy, studying the related problems of the changes in rural land and population structure can more comprehensively find the specific problems in the rural economic development practice at the emerging stage. On the basis of the problems, emphasizing the formulation and implementation of countermeasures, the practical effect of rural economic development will be better. Based on the economic and social development, this paper analyzes the problems of rural land and population structure change, and discusses the coping strategies, aiming to provide guidance and help for practical work.
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